A Time to Move On
by Lyeza
Summary: (Oneshot) In the wake of the failed wedding, Akane realised that it's time for things to change? For that to happen she too has to change? Will she succeed? How will others react to it? RanmaAkane pairing


A Time to Move On

By Lyeza  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in Ranma ½. All the characters belong to Takahashi Rumiko.  
  
Hi! This is my first time writing a Ranma 1/2 fanfic. This takes place after the failed wedding. I hope you will enjoy reading it.  
  
Pairing: Hints of Ranma Akane

_Love is not about loving a perfect person but loving an imperfect person  
perfectly_

"Akane, wait up," a familiar voice called as Akane ran towards school.  
  
Akane sighed. "Same old brand new day. Nothing hardly changed," she thought, She did not slow her pace though. After all, he was bound to catch up with her any moments now.  
  
"Why did you not wait for me?" Ranma asked her as he ran comfortably beside her. Akane opened her mouth to reply but then stopped herself. Why should she bother to answer when she always gave him the same reply every day? "Akane...akane," Ranma called.  
  
Akane turned to him. "What is it, Ranma?" she asked.  
  
"Are you mad at me?" he questioned.  
  
"Why should I?" Akane frowned in confusion. Then her eyes narrowed in suspicion and she continued. "Have you done something that I should be mad about?"  
  
"No, no," Ranma denied quickly, moving slightly away from her. "It's just that you did not answer me just now. I just wonder if I have made you angry, that's all."  
  
"Ranma, do you ever get tired of this?" Akane started after a moment of silence.  
  
Ranma's face scrunched in confusion. "Tired of what?"  
  
Akane sighed impatiently. Ranma could be very clueless sometimes. "Of everything. Of us going around in circles. Never changing.......never moving on," she replied.  
  
"Going around in circles?" he repeated, trying to figure out what Akane was trying to tell him. Ranma looked at Akane, who had turned to him as though attempting to explain further, when they heard the warning bell sounded from the school just ahead of them. "We are going to be late. Come on, Akane," he urged as he grabbed her hand and sped towards school.  
  
During lunch,  
  
"Ranchan!" a girl called happily as she made her way towards Ranma and Akane who were sitting under the tree.  
  
"Ucchan," Ranma returned though somewhat warily. If Ukyo noticed any wariness from Ranma, she probably ignored it as she sat beside Ranma and presented him with an okonomiyaki.  
  
After the failed wedding, Ukyo had approached both Ranma and Akane and apologized for her part in wrecking the wedding. Akane had forgiven her. Ranma was a different story though. He acted as though he had been betrayed by someone he had trusted a lot.  
  
"Well, Ukyo is practically his best friend," Akane thought.  
  
"Oi!" a sharp voice and a light nudge of the elbow disrupted Akane from her reverie. "Would you like some?" Ranma offered, holding out a piece of his okonomiyaki to her.  
  
"Aaa...thanks," Akane accepted gratefully, taking a bite of Ukyo's wondrous cooking. Akane stole a glance at Ukyo and realized with a start that she was on the receiving end of Ukyo's scowl. Akane merely smiled wryly and turned back to her own thoughts.  
  
After Ukyo's apology, Ukyo had avoided both of them for a while. The reprieve was momentary though, for a few days after Ranma had eventually forgiven her, she went back to her pursuit of Ranma. Seeing Ukyo renewing her efforts on winning Ranma, Shampoo who had also kept a low profile since the wedding, followed suit and the fight for the pigtailed martial artist continued again.  
  
"Things just never seem to change," Akane murmured.  
  
"What never seem to change?" Ranma questioned, turning his attention to her. It was then Akane realized that she had spoken her thoughts aloud.  
  
"Nothing, Ranma," Akane replied. Then she stood up.  
  
"Hey, where are you going?" Ranma asked as he too stood up.  
  
"Nowhere important. I just need time alone," answered Akane. She turned to walk away but was stopped by a hand that landed firmly yet gently on her shoulder.  
  
"Akane..." Akane looked up at the sound of his voice. "Is there something wrong? You haven't been yourself lately." Ranma's eyes searched hers as though trying to find an answer he so desperately sought.  
  
"Ranma," Akane started, unable to tear her eyes from his. For a moment, his face looked unguarded and his eyes, endless pools of stormy blue, reflected deep concern for her. The world seemed to disappear before them. So lost were they in each other that they did not notice an angry aura flaring so close to them.  
  
"Ranchan!" Both Akane and Ranma jumped as the voice disrupted what could have been a romantic moment and a turning point of Ranma and Akane's relationship. Akane turned away. If she was Nabiki, she could confidently bet on what was going to happen next.  
  
"Ranchan, does that mean you love Akane?" Ukyo asked, clinging onto his arm tightly and waiting desperately for him to protest.  
  
Ranma looked trapped. "Uh..." he managed as he tried to remove himself from Ukyo's vice-like grip.  
  
"You don't really want to marry her, right?" Ukyo prodded when he did not deny her initial question.  
  
Akane turned back to Ranma for a while. She saw him gulped nervously, a wild captured look in his eyes. Their eyes met momentarily. For a second, Akane thought Ranma looked apologetic but it disappeared instantly that Akane brushed it off as a figment of her imagination. Then she saw him steeled himself. Akane quickly turned for she knew what was coming and she was determined to be out of earshot before he started.  
  
Apparently, she was not fast enough for she heard him complained, "Why would I want to marry...."  
  
Akane stopped walking, rolled her eyes and mouthed along with him, "....an uncute tomboy with thick thighs, who can't cook, can't swim, can't sew.........." Her aura flickered and her trusty mallet appeared readily in her hands. Akane turned back towards Ranma, her arms swinging, intent on causing him physical pain for the pain he had carelessly inflicted on her heart. It was then Akane noticed that Ukyo had stood slightly far away from Ranma and Ranma had his eyes closed and his body tensed, as though bracing himself for the impact of her mallet.  
  
"Same old thing," Akane thought in disgust. She stopped her attack, looked at her mallet for a while and threw it at Ranma. Ranma, who had been waiting to be flown into the air, opened his eyes slightly just in time to see Akane throwing her mallet at him. He caught it easily. Then he stared at Akane, puzzled.  
  
"Take the mallet," she snarled. "I didn't know you like to be malleted so much. I'm tired of doing that. So there, go and mallet yourself for all I care," Akane finished angrily and stomped off.  
  
"Akane," Ranma whispered as he held her mallet in his hands. For a while now, he kept hearing the same words over and over again from her. "Tired of this," Akane had said for the umpteenth time. "What does she mean?" he wondered. Then he stiffened in shock. "Is she.....is she moving on? Is she finally giving up on.....me?" His mind was now a whirlwind of emotions as he struggled to gain understanding of the situation.  
  
"No!" Ranma shouted, causing Ukyo to jump in surprise.  
  
"Ranchan," Ukyo called. "Why did you shout?" Ranma did not answer though for he had already started to run away. "Wait, where are you going?" Ukyo demanded.  
  
"Not now, Ukyo," Ranma warned but it was not his words that stopped her. It was the slight panic and anxiety in his eyes. "There's someone...er....I mean, there's something I need to do. Please don't follow me," he explained, rather pleadingly.  
  
Ukyo nodded, feeling somewhat defeated. "Go ahead, Ranma," she said even though she knew where exactly or to whom Ranma was going to. A grin lit up Ranma's face and as usual, it never failed to send flutters down her stomach.  
  
"Thanks, Ucchan. You're a pal," he thanked her and left quickly.  
  
Ukyo sunk to the ground. Ranma's last few words kept playing in her mind. "A pal....Is that all I will ever be to you?" she whispered wistfully, clenching the grasses so tightly in her hands.  
  
After school,  
  
"You are really going to treat me ice-cream?" Akane asked as she walked alongside Ranma after school.  
  
"Yes, my treat," he said.  
  
"You're not changing into a girl, are you?" Akane asked again.  
  
"No," he replied, shaking his head. "Come on," he added. Then he grabbed her hand and sped slightly towards town.  
  
As they continued to walk hand-in-hand, Akane marveled at how complete she felt when they were together. She wondered what had caused him to suddenly invite her to go for ice-cream. Usually, it was she who always invited him with a promise that she was treating him, and he would only agree to go after he changed into a girl.  
  
"Maybe things are changing," she thought hopefully. The sound of a bicycle bell crashed her hope none too soon. "I spoke too soon," she scowled and not a moment later, Shampoo appeared.  
  
As usual, after tackling Ranma to the ground with her bicycle, she preceded to glomp him.  
  
"I should have known this was getting too good," Akane thought cynically as she watched Ranma trying to extricate himself from Shampoo, while looking frantically at Akane.  
  
This would have been a good time for Akane to mallet Ranma away from Shampoo but Ranma had yet to give back her mallet after she had thrown it to him during lunch.  
  
"Airen take Shampoo on date, yes?" Shampoo asked eagerly, pressing herself closer to Ranma.  
  
Armed with no mallet, Akane huffed angrily and said, "Fine. I'm going home. Have fun!"  
  
"Akane, wait! It's not what it looks like," Ranma cried trying to get to Akane but it proved to be difficult with Shampoo hanging on to him like a lifeline.  
  
Akane dropped her hands in her head at his familiar words. "This is getting old," she mentally screamed in exasperation.  
  
Ukyo was walking back to her restaurant when she chanced upon a very common scene. "What is the hussy doing with Ranchan?" she fumed. She stomped over to them and grabbed onto Ranma's arm.  
  
"What is spatula girl doing here? Ranma is on date with Shampoo," Shampoo stated smugly.  
  
"Let him go, you Chinese hussy. Ranma doesn't want to be with you," Ukyo declared, trying to tug Ranma away from Shampoo.  
  
"You let him go. Ranma is my airen," Shampoo said. By now, Ranma was stuck in the middle of the tug-of-war between two equally determined girls.  
  
"He is not yours," Ukyo bit out.  
  
Ranma looked over at Akane and was relieved to find that she had not yet left him alone to fend for himself. Akane appeared rather torn and indecisive. Apparently, she could not mallet him since he had kept it for uh....safekeeping. Although, he half wished he had returned it to her sooner and at least then, she could mallet him away from his other two fiancées. "Akane..." he started but to his horror, another person interrupted.  
  
"Ohohohohoh," Kodachi entered the scene with her trademark albeit creepy laugh.  
  
"Just what I need," Ranma thought sarcastically. He heard shouts and then he realized he was now being used as a shield by Shampoo and Ukyo against Kodachi's attack.  
  
".......taking Ranma-sama away from me," he heard Kodachi said before her ribbon hit him.  
  
"Ah!" Ranma shouted. He tried to leap away but was held back by Shampoo and Ukyo, who were still standing behind Ranma. Kodachi tried to attack again and Ranma prepared himself for the pain.  
  
"Stop!" Akane screamed, standing in front of Ranma.  
  
"Akane!" What are you doing?" Ranma shouted at her. "You are going to get hurt."  
  
Kodachi stopped her attack. She peered suspiciously at Akane. "Why are you protecting Ranma-sama? Could it be you're in love with him too?"  
  
Akane flushed. "No! It's just that....." Akane was about to start on her denials when she stopped. "This is getting nowhere," she said to herself.  
  
Ukyo, who saw Akane halted in indecision, jumped in. "Why don't we hold a cooking competition?" she suggested.  
  
"Cooking competition?" the other three girls repeated.  
  
"Yes. We will all cook for Ranma and whoever's cooking that Ranma likes best, will be his future wife," Ukyo explained.  
  
"Wait a minute," Ranma began.  
  
"Shampoo in. Airen likes Shampoo's cooking best," Shampoo said happily, clasping her hands in anticipation.  
  
"Ohohohoho....I will cook the finest cuisine for Ranma," Kodachi declared.  
  
"You won't stand a chance," Ukyo glared at them. She then turned to Akane, "Will you be competing, Akane?"  
  
"Hmmph, violent girl can't cook. She will lose anyway," Shampoo said, smirking at Akane.  
  
Akane glared at Shampoo, took a deep breath and answered, "No."  
  
"Well, that settles then. We....what!!!" Ukyo said when she realized that Akane had just refused to compete for Ranma.  
  
"Ohohoho! One less competition," Kodachi laughed gleefully.  
  
Ukyo glanced at Ranma. Pain stabbed at her when she noticed Ranma's expression. He looked pained and upset that Akane refused to fight for him. He appeared as though he had lost everything he had held dear to him.  
  
"You are not competing for Ranma, Akane?" Ukyo asked.  
  
"Violent girl knows she can't cook," Shampoo taunted.  
  
"That is not the reason," Akane retorted, glaring at her rival.  
  
"Why are you not competing? I know you feel...." Ukyo broke off when she saw Akane's expression.  
  
Akane turned to Ranma. "Do you want this competition, Ranma?" she questioned.  
  
"I...ah....No. I don't...." Ranma trailed off when three heated glares turned to him. He gulped.  
  
Akane then looked at the three girls. "This competition is going to be useless. It means nothing Ranma. I'm sure of it. Ranma won't choose his wife just based on her cooking," said Akane, who was now looking at her hands.  
  
Ukyo glanced at Ranma, desperate yet afraid to know how he was reacting to Akane's words. He had a look of surprise on his face. It was not the only expression. There was admiration and something else Ukyo did not recognize; or rather refused to recognize. Ukyo turned away quickly, ignoring the ache in her heart.  
  
"I'm going home," Akane finished softly and walked away. Both Kodachi and Shampoo who had been quiet when Akane talked, finally snapped out of their stupor.  
  
"Running away from competition, Tendo Akane? What a dishonourable act," Kodachi declared.  
  
"Violent girl is just a coward. She's scared," Shampoo added in.  
  
Ukyo shook her head. She doubted the two girls understood what Akane had just told them.  
  
"No. I'm not a coward," Akane said. She had walked away but then stopped and turned back when Shampoo taunted her.  
  
"You are a coward," Shampoo repeated.  
  
"No I am not," Akane denied.  
  
"Then what do you call this? Running away in the face of competition?" Kodachi asked.  
  
"No. I am not running away. I am just....quietly confident," Akane answered softly.  
  
"Quietly confident?" Ukyo echoed.  
  
Akane smiled. "Yes. I'm confident that Ranma will eventually make the right choice on who is going to be his wife when he's ready. For now, I'll just wait," she said and turned to walk away.  
  
"Akane..." Ranma said softly, though it was loud enough to be heard by Ukyo. Ukyo bit her bottom lip in pain. The tenderness in his voice was unmistakable.  
  
"Neither of us stands a chance. He has already chosen. Not me, not Shampoo and definitely not Kodachi," Ukyo thought sadly.  
  
"However," Akane started, breaking Ukyo's line of thoughts. Akane had stopped again but she was not facing them. Ukyo stared at her back, wondering what Akane was going to say next. Akane had really surprised her today. Akane cleared her throat and continued again, "......Ranma, if you choose someone other than...other than me.....I...I....would very much like to hear it from you first. I want you to tell me directly in person so that we can break off the engagement. You owe me at least this after what we have gone through together." Then Akane ran and left them to their own thoughts.  
  
"What the..." Ukyo heard Ranma said. Ukyo looked at Ranma who was still staring at the place where Akane had stood. Then, he started to run in the direction that Akane had disappeared.  
  
"Akane!" Ranma shouted. "What do you mean by that? Are you giving up on me? You are not supposed to give up on me so easily, you stupid tomboy," he called, his voice getting softer as he ran further and further away from the other three girls.  
  
"What about our ice cream? Akane!" Ukyo could hear Ranma's shout faintly even though he was now out of their view. Ukyo shook her head sadly.  
  
"Shampoo no understands," Shampoo said, looking rather puzzled.  
  
"Ohohoho...I'll be back to claim my Ranma-sama," Kodachi said as she leapt away.  
  
Ukyo shot them a pitying glance. "Ignorance is bliss, I guess," she murmured. "But then, they are going to waste their years away for someone who will never love them back," she thought. Ukyo slumped. She had already wasted many years because of Ranma.  
  
"No. This is not the time for self-pity. I need to be strong and now is a good time for me to move on," she reminded herself. Then she squared her shoulder and left for home. There were many other guys beside Ranma and perhaps one day, some other guys will help her forget her first love and replace the memory with something better and sweeter than she had ever experienced with Ranma.  
  
The End  
  
I hope you have enjoyed the story. After reading the final manga, I thought that it was time for the characters to grow up and move on. For that to happen, one of the characters has to grow up first and I have finally decided on Akane since she is one of my most favourite characters. I hope you like my projection of Ukyo throughout the story. I believe Ukyo is a truly wonderful character though I don't believe that she and Ranma were meant to be.  
  
Anyway, I'm glad I have managed to complete a Ranma ½ fanfiction. I'm not sure if I'll ever write another one again but I hope this fanfic has been a really enjoyable one for you.


End file.
